Kata Containers by kata-containers
Kata Containers is an open source project and community working to build a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that feel and perform like containers, but provide the workload isolation and security advantages of VMs. https://katacontainers.io/
About Kata Containers
From the project's README at github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers. Lightly cleaned for readability; for the full source see the upstream repo.
[](https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/actions/workflows/payload-after-push.yaml) [](https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/actions/workflows/ci-nightly.yaml) [](https://scorecard.dev/viewer/?uri=github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers)
This repository is the home of the Kata Containers code for the 2.0 and newer releases.
If you want to learn about Kata Containers, visit the main Kata Containers website. Introduction
Kata Containers is an open source project and community working to build a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that feel and perform like containers, but provide the workload isolation and security advantages of VMs. License
Health score breakdown
6-dimension composite. See methodology for formula and weights.
Adoption signals
Real-world usage data, pulled from each registry. The bigger the numbers, the more battle-tested the project.
| Signal | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 7.9k | github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers |
| GitHub forks | 1.3k | github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers |
Release & maintenance
Is this project actively maintained, or about to die? Check the recency of last commit and last release.
| Project age | 8.4 years | since Dec 2017 |
| Last commit | 3 days ago | May 4, 2026 |
| Releases shipped | 117 | last: 5 days ago |
Self-hosting cost across providers
Detected requirements: 4GB RAM, 40GB disk minimum. Cheapest plan per provider that meets the requirement.
| Provider | Plan | Specs | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hetzner | CAX11 | 2c · 4GB · 40GB | $4.13 USD | Deploy → |
| vultr | VC2 | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5 USD | Deploy → |
| linode | Nanode 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5.12 USD | Deploy → |
| digitalocean | Basic Regular 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $6 USD | Deploy → |
Security advisories
CVE-2026-24834. What people say on Hacker News
Ready to self-host Kata Containers?
Spin up a hetzner CAX11 (4GB RAM, 40GB disk) for $4.13/mo and follow the project's official install docs.
Data last refreshed May 7, 2026.
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